Pond in Southern Illinois

[j.w]

Love the dragon flies. I've seen a big red one around here at times. Ted is cool looking swimming around w/ your bright blue fish, lol!
And little Missy is a sweetheart!

 

[CountryEscape]

Sheetmetal I've always called the turtles painted turtles, and I've seen them at the pet shops called Red Ear Sliders, I think. The baby that found my pond is only 2" long. Cute little bugger! He eats the koi food, and when the koi come to try to take his piece, he grabs it and heads underwater.

 

[taherrmann4]

This may be a dumb question but where do the turtles go in the winter? Do they bury themselves in the bottom of the pond or do they bury themselves on land?

 

[addy1]

I have always read that they head for land, hibernate in tunnels, leaves, dirt.

 

[j.w]

I have a friend up the road w/ about 10 or so of the red eared sliders and they go in her extra bathtub in her house for winter. She keeps getting rescue turtles and I think she will have to come up w/ a bigger solution for them or sacrifice her other bathtub :dunno:

 

[Sheetmetalman]

Well guys Ted the Turtle is history after 2 days--he left the big pond and moved into Annes little reflecting pool pond (she has some of your water primrose in that pond also Country Escape) and I'm actually glad--when I went out in the morning I found about 8 lilly pad leaves from 3 seperate lilly plants floating free in the pond and in the skimmer--he had chewed through their stems about 6 or 7 inches underwater on all of them. I guess if you have way to many lilly pads you should get a turtle this big, but after today I'm glad hes in Anne's pond--he can eat all the primrose he wants-its growing like mad. LIVE & LEARN, lol

 

[addy1]

poor ted...............kicked out of his digs

 

[j.w]

OH well it was Ted's choice to leave, guess the primrose tastes better. Or maybe he will have breakfast at Anne's and dinner at your place, lol!

 

[CountryEscape]

Uh, oh .... I've noticed lily leaves in the skimmer, thought maybe the fish swam by too fast, broke them off! In fact, I think that was happening before the baby turtle showed up. Hopefully he's not the cause. I have bullfrogs, too, and it's possible they are kicking off of them and breaking the lily stems. We'll see. Not going to kick out my little baby turtle yet. He was in the bog last time I saw him a few days ago. He can bury himself in the pea gravel, just not welcome to bury in the liner!

 

[j.w]

Can they really hurt a liner trying to bury into it? Would think the liner was tougher than their nails.

 

[CountryEscape]

I'm hoping the liner will hold up, too, JW. The alligator snappers might do some damage, though. Hoping none of them try to make my pond a home, as I will go nuts until I get them out! So far, none of them have found my pond. I suspect it's just a matter of time! It will be war if they try to show up, though. I know they are crafty hunters, and my fish will definitely be at risk if a snapper comes snooping around!

 

[addy1]

I think it would be hard for them to get a good enough purchase to dig a hole in the slippery liner jw. With dirt they have something to grab with their nails. Anything is possible though.

 

[sissy]

They can slice a liner with there nails and seen it 2 times 2 different ponds here .The turtles come up from down by the creek I guess in search of food not sure .

 

[j.w]

Well let's just hope they do no damage and those snapper dude's don't ever show up. If they do and you manage to get them out can you put a short little wire fence around the pond to keep them out? You know those ones you can get at Lowe's or H-depot that you just stab into the dirt.

 

[addy1]

They can slice a liner with there nails and seen it 2 times 2 different ponds here .The turtles come up from down by the creek I guess in search of food not sure .

didn't know that sissy, we have some land turtles, have not seen any near the pond.